The Good Towels
by jazdia
Summary: A belated birthday story.  Now finished!
1. Chapter 1

The Good Towels

Stephanie knew she tended to be philosophical while taking a shower, but during her third shower of the day, all she could think of was getting clean and falling into bed.

Her first shower of the day occurred at Morelli's house. He shared a cannoli with her as her birthday present, let her sleep in while he showered, and then kissed her before he left for the day. He left enough hot water for her to enjoy as it flowed down her bare skin. Her smile didn't diminish while she dried off, but her thoughts did drift to the new towels in the guest bathroom, wishing she had brought one of those in with her before she entered the bathroom. She knew Morelli really didn't care about who used what towels, but his mother had volunteered Joe's house to out-of-town relatives coming to visit later that week. Mrs. Morelli insisted on placing the new towels in the bathroom herself to assure herself that the Burg standards would appear to still be held by her bachelor son.

Birthday wishes, cards, and even a few presents came her way during the day. Lula bought the donuts, the box decorated with a big red bow. Connie painted Stephanie's nails red, as well. But, Steph did not appreciate the red burn mark she received from her skip, Marty Sanchez. She found him at his work, the Double Tree Hotel's kitchen, where he threw a pot of marinara sauce at her. She dodged most of the sauce, but some still landed on her shirt and then seeped to her abdomen. The burn wasn't noticeable until she showered for the second time that day at her parents' house. As she was drying off with one of the towels she had used as a child, she groaned as the burn was aggravated by the rough towel. She reached out for one of the newer guest towels, but pulled her hand back as her mother's voice came from the other side of the bathroom door. Lunch, and more importantly, birthday cake, were waiting for her downstairs.

She spent the afternoon spending her gift cards at Macys. She loved trying on the clothes and the shoes and not feeling any guilt about having to pay the rent or food for the next month. She bought several jeans to replace the ones that were damaged through the course of her work. She bought several of the stretchy shirts that she, and Joe, liked. And, she found a fabulous dress that she looked forward to wearing out with Joe that night, along with 4" heels that made her legs look fabulous. After shopping, she came home to her apartment to take a nap before their evening nap. Her apartment had been cleaned, with a card from Ella on the dining room table. Next to her card was a vase of flowers, all blue, with a card from Ranger, wishing her a happy birthday.

She smiled when she read the card from Ranger. He had been out of town for several months, visiting his other offices. He had actually stayed in touch with her, calling at least once a week. She almost fainted the first time he ended the call with goodnight. Their friendship grew as he shared more of his daily life with her over the phone. She was happy with Joe, but she found herself smiling for the rest of the day after her phone calls with Ranger. He wasn't even flirting, much, over the phone, but he listened to her tales of her skips and never failed to say how proud he was of her.

Her nap was interrupted by a phone call from Morelli, telling her that he had to work that night on a new case. She was disappointed, but understood. Only a few minutes later, Lula was on the phone, telling her about a new club, and Steph agreed to go that night. It ended up being one of her favorite nights ever, as she, Lula and Connie were joined by Mary Lou and Valerie and then by the Merry Men. She limited herself to two margaritas throughout the night and enjoyed dancing with each of the Merry Men and the girls. She felt no pressure from anyone to do anything except to have fun and enjoy her day.

So, here she was, in her shower, at a little before midnight, taking her third shower of the day. She winced as her hand brushed against her burn and thought about her own towels. She had splurged on soft towels when she worked at E.E. Martin, but since becoming a bounty hunter, she ended up ruining more towels and only had a few threadbare ones left. She briefly promised herself to splurge again on good towels for Christmas and hoped she wouldn't ruin any more. She turned off the shower, stepped out and reached under the cabinet. She was surprised when she felt something soft at her touch. She bent down and found her cabinet filled with new dark blue towels. They were soft on her skin and did not aggravate her burn. She felt pampered and took her time drying off.

After she changed into pajamas, she looked under the cabinet and found a card that had slipped to the side of the towels. She opened the card and read, "You deserve the best in your life, from towels to flying. Happy Birthday." She smiled as she recognized the handwriting, and fell asleep, knowing that she was loved.

Author's note: If you want to know who the note was from, I need reviews! About, hmmm... 25 would be nice. :) 


	2. Chapter 2

The Good Towels

Chapter 2

Steph stretched as she awoke the day after her birthday. Her muscles were a bit tired from dancing the night before, but she still felt good. She had removed one of the flowers from the vase that Ranger had sent, and she smiled when she saw it on her nightstand. The blue of the flower perfectly matched the new towels she had found last night.

It was close to 9 am, so she called the person on the note, thanked him, and arranged to meet for breakfast. She dressed, fed Rex a leftover piece of birthday cake, took a moment to enjoy her clean apartment, and then left for her date.

When she walked into the restaurant, she noticed how handsome her date was. She had always known it, but sometimes it slipped her attention. She kissed him on his cheek as she sat down. "Thanks so much for the towels. They were wonderful to use last night." She placed her order with the waitress and turned back to the man at her side.

His cheeks turned faint pink. "Don't thank just me," he said. He pointed towards the door. "It was his idea."

Steph felt her neck start to tingle and then she was being held in strong arms. "Good morning, Babe."

"Ranger! Thanks for the flowers!" She kissed him on his cheek and then looked into his eyes. "When did you get back into town?"

The corners of his mouth lifted up into a smile. "I just arrived from the airport. I'm sorry I wasn't able to be back in time for your birthday."

"That's okay," she replied. "And? The two men looked at each other and grinned. "I wanted to do something special for you," her dad answered. "Your mom normally handles the presents, but I wanted to give you something you normally wouldn't receive, but needed." He nodded towards Ranger. "I was dropping off someone in the cab at the airport when I saw him about to walk into the terminal. I stopped him and we put our heads together for you."

Steph looked confused. "Why did you ask Ranger?" She glanced at Ranger. "Joe's been over for dinner at least once a week. Did you ask him?"

Frank frowned. "No, I never did. From what I can tell, Morelli doesn't pay attention to things like that." He put his hand up to stop her next words. "I know he cares for you and you care for him, but admit it, he's rarely given you anything besides trouble, while this guy," nodding at Ranger, "has given you things you needed and pays attention to the details of what you need, without asking for anything else in return."

She stared back and forth between both men with her mouth open. She never expected her father to feel, much less say anything about the two men in her life. Ranger gently closed her mouth and then held her hand.

"My life has changed recently," Ranger slowly said. "What wasn't possible to consider before is possible now."

She put her head down on the table. "I just wanted breakfast. I need coffee. I don't know what to think."

Ranger kissed the back of her head. "Okay, Babe. Have some coffee and breakfast. We can talk later."

Frank shifted his legs. "I could use some coffee as well, but then I have to head out. You're mother thinks I'm at the Lodge."

Steph sat back up and leaned into her father. "I don't know what else to say."

"Then, don't say anything. Eat," as the waitress brought their plates," and then spend some time with this guy. I think he has more to say." He eyed Ranger.

"Okay." She reached for her coffee cup. "I can do that."

The meal was delicious. Steph did not notice the Ducati or its passenger that parked by the window and stared inside the diner. But, both Ranger and Frank did.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note: One more chapter! Thanks for all the reviews and requests! It's nice to know that my writing is liked. And, Oops! Another cliffhanger. _

The Good Towels

Chapter 3

Stephanie leaned back in the booth with a contented sigh. Her "beast" of a stomach was full and two of her favorite men were with her. Now she could try to understand Ranger's comment from before.

"So, do you want to talk here or at my apartment?" she asked Ranger.

Ranger exchanged glances with Frank. "Babe, I think you'll need to speak with Morelli first."

"Joe? Why? She was confused.

"Because," he motioned to the front door," he's coming this way."

Stephanie looked at the third man of her life as he made his way to their table. She thought he looked tense, his jaw clenched tightly. Immediately, she felt guilty, but in the next second, she knew she had done nothing wrong to feel guilty about.

"Stephanie," he said to her, while nodding to the men beside her. "I want to talk to you."

_Not 'Cupcake' or 'Steph'. _"Sure, Joe. Do you want to sit down and have some coffee? We were just having breakfast."

Morelli shook his head. "I'd rather this were private, just the two of us." He then glared at Ranger.

Frank tapped his cup. "We weren't quite finished yet. I was enjoying a late birthday cup of coffee with my daughter. Can you talk to her later?"

The sounds of the other diners whispering around them seemed to alert Morelli to the scene he was making.

"I'll stay outside for you. This can't wait." He turned around and walked outside.

Stephanie looked at both her father and Ranger. "Do you know what this is about?" she asked.

"No," her dad replied, "but he wasn't too polite about his request now, was he?" Her father looked annoyed for both her sake and his.

"Babe." Ranger's standard reply. Only, this one seemed to mean "I've got your back." She was more confused than before.

"You never answered me before, Ranger," she said. "Do you want to talk here or later?"

He was quiet for a moment. "How about you see what Morelli wants to talk about? Then, when you're ready, find me, and we'll talk."

She grabbed her purse, kissed her dad on the cheek and stood up. "Okay, I'll see you both later."

Morelli was leaning against his Ducati motorcycle waiting for her. She sauntered up and tried to give him a kiss, but he jerked his head away.

"What's up, Joe?" she questioned.

"What's Ranger doing here?" he growled back.

She shrugged. "My dad invited him to breakfast."

He looked at her in disbelief. "Your dad?"

"Yeah, my dad," Stephanie countered back. "What's your problem?"

"My problem?" He took a step closer to her. "You're my problem. I leave you at home watching tv while I have to deal with a murder investigation, and the next thing I hear, you're partying with mob of men and then find you here having breakfast with Manoso."

She stared at him, unable to speak for a full minute. "Excuse me? I'm you're problem? You left me. To go to work, which I understood. But, there was no expectation that I was just going to stay at home. Lula called soon after you left and invited me to the club, where I danced with friends, not a mob. And, then went home, by myself, waiting for you. And," she blew her hair out of her face," I don't have to explain myself to you anyway!"

He reached for her arm. "Yes, you do. We're a couple. We're going to be more soon. Last night," he faltered. "Last night, I was going to propose."

Stephanie felt faint. "Propose?" She slipped to the ground and put her head between her knees. "Marriage?"

"Yes, Cupcake," Joe kneeled down next to her. "Marriage. Forever. For better or worse. Sickness and health. But, for you, it would mean no more bounty hunting and especially, no more Ranger. Your job makes me sick with worry. And, so does Ranger."

"_No more Ranger?" _she thought to herself. And started to hyperventilate.

_You know what to do! I can't guarantee how quickly I'll finish this story up, but I think there's only one more chapter to go. This is the only story I've begged for reviews. Please!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's notes: After rereading my chapters, something I'm usually obsessive about before I continue on to the next chapter, I've noticed an inconsistency: Morelli left Steph on the morning of her birthday, not the evening – they were going to meet up for their evening out (not their evening "nap"). He called to tell her that they couldn't go out. Sorry! I really do try to stay consistent. And, it has been months since I wrote the first chapter. My only excuse is that I wrote the first two chapters on a different computer in Word and the last 2 chapters on my laptop in OpenOffice, and they're not always compatible, and I went from memory. _

_As always, Janet created the characters and we just get to play with them, for which we are very grateful._

…_..previously..._

_Stephanie felt faint. "Propose?" She slipped to the ground and put her head between her knees. "Marriage?"_

"_Yes, Cupcake," Joe knelt down next to her. "Marriage. Forever. For better or worse. Sickness and health. But, for you, it would mean no more bounty hunting and especially, no more Ranger. Your job makes me sick with worry. And, so does Ranger."_

"_No more Ranger?" she thought to herself. And started to hyperventilate. _

The Good Towels

Chapter 4

Stephanie couldn't breathe. Her heart was racing. She was dizzy and falling forward. Joe caught her before her head hit the pavement. She knew she was supposed to say something to him, but she couldn't remember what it was.

"Steph? Cupcake?" Joe sounded worried. She could barely hear him over the pounding of her heart. Then, she heard the pounding of other feet.

"Pumpkin?" "Babe?" Daddy. Ranger. _Breathe._

"What happened?" Her father asked Joe. "What did you do to her?"

"She's having a panic attack!" Joe responded. He was trying to stand her up, but her knees wouldn't cooperate.

Ranger was on the other side of Stephanie, pressing her head between her knees with one hand and rubbing her back with the other. "Calm down, Babe," he said.

Steph heard his voice, and started to breathe in and out. She leaned towards him, and he put his arm around her. After focusing on him, a few minutes later, she was lifting her head up. "What happened?"

"You tell us," he responded. "Or, Morelli can."

"Morelli?" She looked over at Joe. "Morelli!" Steph became embarrassed. He had just proposed, and instead of saying 'yes', she almost fainted.

He frowned. "I guess I have my answer." Joe shook his head. "The last time I saw you have a panic attack was when he," gesturing towards Ranger, "was shot." He looked down at the ground and then back at her.

"Joe, I'm sorry." Stephanie tried to stand, but Joe waved her away and threw his leg over his bike.

"So am I, Steph," he spoke sadly. He wheeled his Ducati further into the parking lot and turned the engine on, revving it several times before pulling into the street and away from her. She watched him as he rode away, but he never looked back.

After Joe turned the corner, Stephanie looked up to find Ranger's gaze upon her. Her dad had disappeared. He appeared stunned.

"What?"

"I don't know," he replied. "What did he mean about you having a panic attack when I was shot?" She tried to look away, but he put his hand on her chin. "Tell me, Stephanie."

She studied his face for a minute, laying a hand on his cheek. "Do you really want to talk about this here and now?"

Ranger glanced around and shook his head, giving a rueful grin. "Talk about being aware of your surroundings. Would you come to my apartment?"

She nodded.

Stephanie breathed deeply before stepping out of the car, thinking about the previous twenty-four hours, how much her life changed. She went into the elevator with Ranger, waving to the camera as the elevator lifted, and knew her life was going to never be the same. There would never be any going back to Joe. Her decision had been made. Now, she just needed to know if Ranger felt the same way.

He had stayed in his "zone" in the car. It had been several years, but they never talked about what had happened when Scrog tried to take over Ranger's life. After Ranger came home from the hospital, the two of them just went on as if nothing unusual had happened. They sometimes talked about Julie, because Ranger became closer with his daughter after she was kidnapped, and Steph heard from her as well, because Julie wanted to know the woman who risked her life for the daughter of just a friend. But, Stephanie never told Ranger how she realized that she loved him before he walked into her apartment to save her and Julie. She never mentioned to him how she still avoided walking on the spot on her carpet where he had almost bled to death. And, their conversation never returned to the fact that a perfect stranger saw them as a couple when they denied it to each other.

They walked into his apartment, her haven from the rest of the world when she had needed a place to hide, just as her apartment had been his haven during the Scrog incident. With each step, she grew in confidence as memories of their trust in each other replayed in her mind. She may not know everything about Carlos Manoso, but she knew that he loved and trusted her in his moments of need as she had with him. From the moment she had met him, she knew she could trust him. She had seen underneath his street persona and knew him as a person of honor. Now, she was about to find out if he was as ready for their "someday" to come as she was.

She sat on his couch, accepting the bottle of water he gave her before he sat next to her. They faced each other, and smiled.

"What just happened with Morelli?" Ranger asked her.

"He proposed," she replied.

"And?" he frowned.

"I almost fainted, so he took that as a no," she smiled.

He was silent for a minute. "Did you mean to say no?" he gently questioned.

Now it was Steph's turn to be silent as she thought over her answer.

"Well?"

Steph looked into Ranger's dark eyes as she answered. "He gave some conditions to the proposal that I didn't like."

He shook his head. Both he and Morelli had been unsuccessful in the past to give Stephanie orders. "Do you want to tell me what they were?"

"The first was to give up my job," she said. She placed her hand on his leg. "The second was to give up you. Apparently, that's when I stopped being able to breathe, so he took that as a no to the proposal."

Ranger covered his mouth. Stephanie thought he was trying hard to not smile.

"Tell me about your panic attack," he returned to being serious.

"Just now? Or, after Scrog almost killed you?" Steph asked.

"Scrog." Now, his eyes looked haunted by the memories.

Stephanie sat closer and put both arms around his neck. "Don't shut down on me, Ranger. We've never really talked about what happened that night. You almost died. I," she closed her eyes, "realized that I was in love with you. And, Morelli. And, when you were shot, I didn't want to breathe if you didn't." She kissed him on the cheek. "Joe convinced me to live. That you were going to make it. And, you did. Then we went back to how things were before." She shook her head. "I can't do that anymore."

He whispered into her ear, "what do you want, Babe?"

"You." She kissed him, pouring her love into the kiss. When they stopped, she looked up at him and returned the question. "What do you want, Ranger?"

"You. I've finished my contract with the government. My life is finally in a place where I can have a relationship, and I want one with you." He smiled his 1000 watt smile at her. "Since I've met you, I've only wanted you."

Stephanie smiled at him. "Can it be this easy? Can we finally be with each other?"

Ranger kept smiling back at her. "Babe, it hasn't been easy getting to this point, and I doubt things will stay easy. But, we are definitely getting our someday together." He stood up and held out his hand to her. "Why don't we talk some more about what the details will be in the bedroom? I can promise the sheets are softer than the couch. And, we can finish hammering out even more details in the shower later." He lifted his eyebrow.

She placed her hand in his and kissed his lips again. "Hammering, hunh? I just want those towels afterwards!" She walked backwards into the bedroom, smiling. It may no longer be her birthday, but the best night of her life had continued into the best morning of her life and promised to continue for many more days to come.


End file.
